Evaluations for Downers Grove officials questioned

Downers Grove officials approved new contracts for its village manager and attorney, but some council members took issue with the performance evaluations upon which they were based.

Village Manager David Fieldman and Village Attorney Enza Petrarca secured raises and more months of severance pay in their contracts with Fieldman also getting a bonus for his work last year. Fieldman's contract passed last week by a 4-3 vote and Petrarca's by a 5-2 vote.

Fieldman will receive a 2 percent salary bump and 12 months of severance should he be terminated without cause, according to the contract. He previously would have gotten nine months' severance. He also will get a $10,000 bonus.

"Dave has established a standard in this organization," Commissioner Marilyn Schnell said. "It's because of Dave and his team that we are lucky enough to have a village that came out of a financial situation in much better shape than any other community."

The decision to award higher pay was based on performance evaluations, in which council members participate. Commissioners Bob Barnett and Sean Durkin voted against both contracts, saying that while they support Fieldman and Petrarca, the evaluation process is not transparent enough. Commissioner William Waldack also voted against Fieldman's contract.

"When you're giving out bonuses and raises that are funded by taxpayer money, it seems to me that we should have a better way of saying why they're getting the money they're getting, other than, 'We think you did a good job,'" Barnett said. "That seems like a setup for either misunderstanding, misuse or abuse to me."

Durkin said the lack of a clearer evaluation process could mean that Fieldman is actually getting less than he deserves.

"There is no way any of us can sit up here and defend to the public why we're giving a $10,000 bonus to an individual who has saved over $7 million for this community," Durkin said. "I think Mr. Fieldman is being shortchanged. I don't think we're being fair."

Mayor Martin T. Tully said the deals were done with the specified tools.

"With the metrics that are in place, this is a fair and appropriate outcome for the both the village manager and the village attorney," Tully said."I embrace and have committed to revisit what the framework is, what are the metrics. There may be a way to do that."

Both contracts, which do not list specific end dates, went into effect after the council's vote.